Never Ending Story
by fokker333
Summary: The Fourth Great Shinobi War is over, but more was lost on one day than won. This is the story of a man who, despite his cold and aloof attitude, worked his way into the hearts of many. This is the story of Hyuuga Neji. Told in a series of oneshots, drabbles, and occasional poems. Written in collaboration with Say-theLastWord. In Memoriam. RIP Neji. Neji-centric, some NejiTen.
1. Never Ending Story

**Never Ending Story**

* * *

The wind sang softly as leaves danced in the breeze. One brown leaf curled gently around the corner of buildings and landed softly on the ground. Only seconds after it descent, a sandaled foot crushed it.

Shinobi walked jubilantly through the streets, some cheering, others crying with joy, and still more were embracing their loved ones and kissing them fiercely. The war was finally over, and the joint shinobi forces had retreated to Konoha for the celebration.

Hinata smiled softly at the jubilation in front of her. The casualties had been heavy, and it would take years for the elemental nations to truly regain their power. But then again, she thought pensively as she watched an Iwa nin embrace one of the Konoha jounin, they had gained new strength through the course of harsh battles.

Sighing softly, Hinata turned away from the festivities. The singing and cheers soon became background noise as she walked through the streets of the village she loved. Her feet only had one destination, and as she walked along the winding road, Hinata would feel the light and cheery atmosphere slowly fade away.

Flowers were strewed all throughout the streets, courtesy of the Yamanaka flower shop. Marigolds, agrimony, carnations of all colors, cypress, and…

Hinata's smile faded as she stopped to stare at the flower lying at her feet. Stooping over, she bent to lift its delicate stalk between her fingers. The flower was in the midst of wilting, and its fuschai petals were already turning brown.

The Eglantine Rose, meaning a wound that needed to heal.

Hinata sighed and pressed the flower closely to her chest. It felt like the flower was about to snap at the slight pressure. It was, Hinata reflected, a lot like life. Beautiful, fragile, and so easily destroyed.

A broken sob sounded before her, and Hinata dropped the rose quickly. She rushed forward and activated her Byakugan to scan for enemies. Who was injured? Who was hurt? Did they need any medical assistance –

… oh.

Hinata slowed and observed the crying female in front of her. The woman's brown hair was untied and streamed messily down her back. Her forehead protector lay disregarded on the ground, and she was clutching at the grass, uprooting it, tearing it apart in her wild grief. The memorial stone she prostrated herself before was filled with names, most freshly carved in light of the finished war. The kunoichi's fingers were bleeding, and Hinata couldn't help but notice the contrast between the red, red blood streaming down the black face of the rock. The cuts on those long, calloused fingers were from tracing one name over and over, obsessively. Hinata turned her face away in grief though her Byakugan made sure she saw the name dyed in crimson.

_Hyuga Neji_

Hinata stepped forward. "Tenten," she said softly.

Tenten didn't even lift her head to acknowledge Hinata's presence, and Hinata wondered if she was even heard over the brown haired girl's sobs. She took another step.

"Tenten," she repeated.

Tenten's head shot up at this, and she stared at Hinata with red eyes rimmed with shadows and insane with sorrow. Hinata refused to flinch and met those broken eyes with her own steady lavender.

At length, Tenten chuckled. The deep rasp she produced was rusty knives dragged across granite, the sound of sandpaper scraping across concrete.

"What, is it your turn now?" Tenten's smile was mocking and more than a little demented. "You should give up now. Lee came by earlier, and before that it was Sakura." Another laugh bubbled from her dry lips, and Tenten bit her lip as another sob escaped her. "It's too late for any of you." Turning a tortured gaze onto the bloody stone, a bitter giggle fell. "It's too late for him."

"How long have you been here?" Hinata ventured. Funny, she thought. A year ago, she would already be cringing away from the kunoichi and retreated, stuttering all the way. Now, Hinata stood to face her, no longer intimidated, no longer cowed. Naruto had changed her. War had changed her.

War had changed everyone.

"Since the so-called end of this God forsaken war," Tenten spat. Her nose crinkled up in distaste, and her hand dropped limply to her side.

Hinata merely stood and observed as if there was nothing wrong, but inside, she was screaming and crying out.

_I lost people too!_ She cried to herself. _He was my protector, my mentor, my brother! I lost him too!_

But, no. That wasn't fair to Tenten. Hinata could understand the pain of losing someone dear to her, but _this._ This was a pain beyond her comprehension. If anything had happened to Naruto in the final battle against Madara… Hinata shuddered. But then again, she thought wryly. That had been prevented by her cousin.

Tenten had long stopped clawing at the memorial rock, and her eyes were now blank and empty. She sagged against the dark stone and exhaled through her nose. She looked defeated and tired even though it should have been a night for celebration. Hinata's heart twisted with sympathy.

Hinata let her legs collapse from underneath her, and she crawled to the other side of the memorial stone. She was now facing the opposite direction from Tenten, and though she could still see Tenten (courtesy of the Byakugan), Tenten could no longer see her.

"Let me tell you a story," she began. She watched as Tenten's body stiffened, noticed the way her chakra flared angrily. Hinata ignored it. "This story is about a young man who was born into a cage."

There was no sound from Tenten, and Hinata could see her hands clenching at her sides. Taking it as a sign that she was listening, Hinata continued.

"This young man had suffered early in his life. He lost his mother and relied on his father before losing him too. This boy became focused on hatred and revenge, despising his family and trusting no one."

A shaky breath escaped Tenten.

"The boy was also very afraid, you see. After all, everyone he had ever trusted had left him one way or the other, and his family didn't care for him due to where he had been born. It seemed like there was nothing left for the boy, and he resigned himself to always being alone."

Tenten leaned back against the rock.

"The boy did quite well at this feat until he was assigned a team. There, he meet two beautiful and youthful beasts as well as a weapon mistress whose fingers were as deft as the wind. When she fought, it looked like the blades were dancing."

A scornful expression took its place on Tenten's face.

"Slowly but surely, his ice cold façade began to crack. It didn't change much, for he was still ostracized from his family, but he changed. The change was slow, and most people couldn't see it, but when a blond fool punched him in the jaw, the entire world saw a change."

A huff of amusement from Tenten.

"After that, this boy opened up. He became kind, warm, and powerful. He had always been skilled, but with the knowledge that other people were there for him, he truly reached his title of 'genius.' Of course, he did have a few near death experiences."

A rough chuckle came from Tenten at this, though there was no real amusement.

Hinata persisted. "No one else noticed, but he and the weapon's mistress became quite close. They were the best of friends, the best sparring partners, and he confided in her when he doubted himself. She was always there for him, and he, in turn, was there for her."

A smile danced on Tenten's lips.

"They grew closer and closer, and their love for each other grew as well. Things would have been perfect if not for the evil force that drew closer to them every day. At long last, tensions reached their peak, and war exploded across the world. The fighting was harsh, and wounds were severe." Hinata paused here and considered her next words carefully. "The two were able to persevere through it, forever trusting in the other to stay strong."

Tenten began trembling, and she wrapped her arms around her own shaking body. Hinata could almost see two ghostly arms clad in white reach out to embrace her.

"They were skilled warriors, and there should have been no problem. But war is cruel, war is unfeeling, and war tore them apart."

Tenten was crying again, and Hinata took a moment to doubt herself. Was she doing the right thing by saying this? Shaking her head firmly to clear the doubts, Hinata began speaking once more.

"The man – no longer a boy – died at the height of battle." Her voice cracked in the middle, and Hinata felt a tear of her own slip out and fall to the ground. "He died protecting the one who would end the war, and thus he became a hero."

"Don't heroes have happy endings?" Tenten interjected virulently. "If this boy was one, then why did he die?"

Hinata shook her head and felt her hands shaking. Clasping them together, she willed herself to be strong. "He died a hero," she repeated strongly. "And no one will ever say differently. Can I continue the story?" she asked tersely.

Tenten scoffed. "Go ahead," she said, but it was clear she was losing herself again.

"The man left behind his family. He left behind his life and his future, everything that he had ever known. His life had ended, and there was nothing left behind…" Hinata trailed off when she saw Tenten abruptly stand and make as if to leave. "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere," came the poisonous reply. "I'm not staying here to listen to your drivel. I don't need your messed up form of therapy."

"Sit down," Hinata barked, surprising herself with the strength of her words. "The story isn't finished yet."

She could see the struggle Tenten was going through as various emotions flitted across her face. Finally, Tenten sat down with a huff.

Hinata let out a breath she hadn't know she was holding. That was a potential disaster averted. "Good."

"He didn't leave anything behind," Hinata picked up. "At least, that's what everyone thought, but that wasn't true. That brave young man left behind a lot of things."

"He left behind the Will of Fire for future generations," she went on. More and more determination crept into her voice as Hinata spoke. "He left behind a legacy of honor for veterans to remember. He left memories of laughter and undying resolve for his friends to relive. Most importantly…" Hinata gulped, and tears streamed down her face. "He left behind his love for the brown-haired weapon's mistress and his wish for her happiness."

She stood and walked around the stone to see Tenten sobbing into her knees. The red pants she always wore were stained with dirt and tears. Her white blouse was covered in muck, but Hinata thought that she had never seen anything quite as lovely as Tenten at that moment, mourning for her lost love.

Hinata waited for Tenten's weeping to turn manageable and added in a quiet voice, "He truly did love you, you know."

"I know." Tenten took a deep shuddering breath and heaved herself up, supporting herself on the memorial stone. She gulped for air and glance around slowly, like a drowning man regaining his senses.

Hinata watched those brown eyes take in the torn up grass, the flowers on the road, the sounds of merriment from the village, and finally, the red name on the stone.

Tenten's voice cracked when she addressed Hinata. "Thanks," she muttered. Scuffing a foot awkwardly against the ground, Tenten whirled around. "I – I should probably head back to the village."

"You do that," Hinata encouraged. She stared after the kunoichi and was about to head after her when Tenten's voice broke into her train of thought.

"Hinata… did the boy in the story have a name?"

Hinata smiled at the hesitant question. "You know the answer to that." It was a sight to behold, she mused, as Tenten's back straightened, her shoulder's stiffened.

And as Tenten marched down the flower road, Hinata could have sworn she saw a white robed figure with long brown hair walking beside her.

* * *

**Written by Say-theLastWord**


	2. In Their Hearts (I)

**In Their Hearts (I)**

* * *

The soft pitter-patter of rain against the worn cobble was the only sound that filled the air. Somewhere in the small crowd of black-clad figures, tears mingled with the water from the sky, dripping down to splash against the ground. Splattering off the ground, a single drop of rain – or was it a tear? – stained the lone photograph leaning against dark wood.

The blond coughed, clearing his throat. "We won," he said quietly, his voice carrying over the sound of the rain. "We won. It's all over. But…" The Rokudaime Hokage gazed mournfully at the dark coffin lying under the awning of the tent that sheltered it from the rain. "At what cost?"

There was a strangled sob from the crowd, and Uzumaki Naruto sighed heavily. "We lost a great comrade," he continued, addressing what was left of the Konoha Eleven. "He truly lived up to his title as 'genius'. But his abilities, his skill in combat, none of that matters today. Because when it all comes down to it, the person we lost wasn't just a fighter, or a shinobi, or even the Hyuuga prodigy. Neji was, above all else, a friend."

Several people were weeping at this point. Some tried to hide it. Some let the rain wash away the salty tears they cried. But still, it was silent.

Naruto tried to say more, but something caught in his throat, and he couldn't continue. The sounds of rain filled the air again as the Hokage fell silent.

Neji's serious white eyes stared at the Konoha Eleven from the photograph, his brown hair framing his face, his forehead protector hiding the Caged Bird Seal that he was finally free from. Naruto turned, gazing at the photograph.

"I've never been good at speeches," he said softly. "But I guess I'll start. It's my duty as Hokage now, isn't it?" He smiled wryly, but his bright blue eyes glistened with moisture. "When I first saw him, I thought he was the most arrogant, stuck up bastard I'd ever met. There he was at the Chuunin Exams, acting all high and mighty, with that holier-than-thou attitude of his. I hated him the moment I saw him. And that hatred only got worse when he fought Hinata in the preliminaries of the third round. I swore to myself then that I would wipe that arrogant smirk from his face."

A round of soft, muted laughter ran through the gathered mourners as they recalled the Chuunin Exams, so long ago, where they had taken their first steps into the serious world of ninja.

"And, after one fight, he changed from the one who I wanted to beat the most to the one that I would most want at my side in a fight," Naruto said. "It's ironic, isn't it? That he ended up sacrificing himself for me…" A solitary tear slipped down his cheek, dripping onto the damp ground. He clenched his hand tightly, trying to compose himself before he broke down altogether.

"Neji…" he choked out, more tears dripping down his face now. "He… was one of the greatest friends I could have asked for…" He took a deep, shuddering breath. "And now he's gone."

Somebody collapsed in the crowd, dropping to their knees as she began sobbing uncontrollably. Somebody else knelt beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Naruto held back a sob himself. "I'm done here," he muttered, wiping tears away gruffly with the back of his hand. Stepping back away from the coffin, he joined the rest of the Konoha Eleven. Nodding to the next in line, the Rokudaime Hokage sighed again as he gazed at the lonely coffin, sitting in the rain.

#

"Troublesome," Nara Shikamaru muttered as he slouched his way towards the front, but for once his heart wasn't in it. He stopped in front of the coffin, looking down at the photograph of his comrade as Naruto had. "Like Naruto, I'm not big on words," he said uncertainly. "But I guess…"

Digging a hand into his pocket, the lazy genius pulled out a cigarette. Sticking it into his mouth, he flicked open a worn and battered lighter. Taking a deep drag of the soothing tobacco, he sighed heavily.

"Today's a day of sighing," he muttered, and although his voice was soft everyone heard him. "I have to admit, I didn't know Neji too well at first. He seemed like a troublesome guy." Running a hand through his hair, which was damp from the rain, Shikamaru sighed again, lifting his head to look at the weeping sky, ignoring the drops that pelted his face.

"We're shinobi," he continued simply. "Death is something that we have to get used to. But sometimes, it's hard. It's hard when the person who died was close to us. And it's only harder when we begin to realize the changes that person made in our lives. Right now, I can't really think of how Neji changed my life. But I expect that as time passes. It'll become clearer to me exactly what he did."

"For some, it's easy to see. For others, not so much. But no matter how little, how insignificant it may seem, Neji changed us. He changed us all. And we're all going to see how he changed us. They say, you never really know what you had until it's gone. Well, we had a great friend and comrade, and now he's gone. I can't say much else, except to never forget him. He may not be here anymore, but he'll always be here," he tapped his chest, "in our hearts. And here," he tapped his forehead, "in our minds."

Finished, the genius made his way back to the others. "Troublesome," he muttered, wiping away moisture from his cheek. He swore that it was just rain, but who could really tell?

#

Aburame Shino stood stoically, as always, facing the wooden coffin that held the body of a comrade. He, like the rest of his clan, was a man of few words, but even he had something to say about the man who had been known as the one of the strongest Hyuuga ever to live.

"He was a good man. Why? Because he cared for his comrades. He did not let his pride as a Hyuuga interfere with his interactions with his teammates. Although it did not seem so at times, he was a man who knew the true meaning of teamwork."

As Shino spoke, he noticed the kneeling one begin to cry even louder, and the one comforting her begin to shake in grief.

Shino did not speak further, but the agitated buzzing that filled the air spoke for him of the sorrow he felt for his fallen comrade. The stoic Aburame inclined his head respectfully to the coffin and walked back to the others.

#

Ino was next, the blonde making her way shakily to the awning under which lay one of Konoha's most respected ninja. Scrubbing a hand across her eyes, the Yamanaka Clan Head took a deep breath to regain her composure.

"In that final fight against Obito, Madara, and the-" her voice cracked slightly, "-Juubi, I don't think I really ever realized what it was like to lose a father. Asuma-sensei was like a father to us," she looked over at Shikamaru and Chouji, "but when Daddy and Shikaku-san were…" she took a shuddering breath, "killed by the Juubi, I didn't really understand it."

"We're ninja. We live alongside death. That's what we are. But you can never really get used to it. We kill, we see comrades die, and eventually, sooner or later, we die. That's how we live, as ninja. But…"

Moisture trickled down her cheek and dripped down onto the ground. Was it rain, or was it something else?

"We don't ever forget our fallen comrades. Neji was our comrade, our friend. I don't think I fully understood Daddy's death until Neji…" The blonde hesitated slightly as another strangled sob was heard. "Until Neji died."

"It's hard to imagine, isn't it? That we, whom many call the Konoha Eleven, have survived so much. The Chuunin Exams, the invasion of Konoha, Akatsuki, the fight with Pain… and he's always been there, throughout everything. I think that, despite the fact that at first we didn't like him because of his attitude… we came to look up to him. We all respected him for what he had achieved. But more than that, he was our friend. Our comrade. He sacrificed himself for one of his own comrades. He was a hero, just like every one of those who perished in the war. And we must never forget that though he lived as a prodigy and died as a hero, he was always our comrade."

* * *

**Written by Fokker333**


	3. Through Jaded Eyes

**Through Jaded Eyes**

* * *

Five years after the Fourth Great Shinobi Wars, the Sixth Hokage sat calmly at his desk. A mountain of paperwork sat in front of him, and he could feel crease lines mar his forehead. He diligently worked through a few more stacks before throwing his pen down in frustration.

"Argh! Why is there so much crap to work through?" Uzumaki Naruto complained loudly. The pen snapped upon contact with the desk and splashed its ink all over the previously clean sheets of paper.

"You know you'll have to clean that up and do it over again." The dry voice of the Hokage's advisor sounded from his right. Nara Shikamaru looked the epitome of boredom as he scratched the back of his head with one hand while the other played with a silver lighter. "Besides, it will take ages to fully restore the villages after what happened, so don't complain. You're doing this for the betterment of your people."

Naruto sighed and rested his head on his chin. He gazed forlornly out the window. Although Konoha had come a long way from the initial end of the war, there were still ugly wounds marring the landscape. A gaping hole still remained in the place HQ had stood, and the memorials for dead shinobi were littered all around the village.

"I know," he said resignedly. "But sometimes I feel like I could be doing more… be out on the frontlines, you know? Instead, I'm just sitting here and sorting through complaint after complaint from the fat daimyos!" The last exclamation had Naruto throwing his hands up in frustration.

Shikamaru couldn't quite bring himself to mutter his trademark statement and instead matched his gaze to his leader's. "Naruto," he said seriously. "You know that everyone contributes differently. There's no doubt that you saved us after the war, but there's work that needs to be done in other places as well." He gestured to the messy desk and the scattered papers lying on the wooden surface. "This is just one of them."

"I know," Naruto repeated. "But-"

He was cut off as the door slammed open, and a kunoichi stalked in. He sandy hair was tied into four separate pigtails, and a metal fan hung from her back. Jade green eyes stared out from a sharp face, and her hands were planted firmly on her hips.

Naruto chuckled. "You're dead, Shikamaru," he said under his breath, grinning at his advisor's fearful expression.

"What are you doing here, woman?" Shikamaru groaned, silently agreeing with his Hokage. "I thought you wouldn't be back for another week or two."

"Change of plan," she said abruptly. Sunlight gleamed off of her forehead protector which had the proud symbol of the Joint Shinobi Forces etched into it. "The mission was canceled so I made my way back here as fast as I could." Her green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why, are you disappointed to see me?"

Shikamaru backtracked quickly. "No, no, I was just… surprised." He sweatdropped. Even he knew better than to mess with Temari when she was in one of her moods. "Besides, you didn't send a messenger hawk like you usually do."

"Shinobi should expect the unexpected," Temari retaliated scornfully. "You've become soft, crybaby."

"I'm not a crybaby anymore!" Shikamaru protested. "The last time I cried was-"

He cut himself up abruptly. The room's atmosphere grew heavy, and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Naruto was staring dejectedly at his feet while Temari shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Shikamaru clenched a fist and quickly glanced out the window, hoping for some sort of distraction.

None came.

After a length of time, Naruto cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, it's great to have you back, Temari." He grinned, but there was no real joy in his eyes. "You and Shikamaru will have plenty of time to catch up later, but I need him for now."

Temari scoffed. "Right, going to push your work onto him again?" At Naruto's guilty expression, Temari smirked triumphantly. "You know it won't work. He's lazier than a drugged snail so nothing will get done either way."

"A drugged snail?" Shikamaru asked skeptically. Just as Temari opened her mouth to retort, a poof of smoke appeared in the middle of the room. Naruto suppressed a sigh, and Shikamaru turned away with a pained look. Temari only looked on curiously as the smoke slowly dissipated to reveal a kneeling ninja.

The assassin's long brown hair spilled down their back and was held with a small tie at the very end. Their porcelain mask was carved into the eerie likeness of a bird, and the dark swirl sitting on their left shoulder proudly proclaimed their position as an ANBU. Blank eyes were barely visible from the eye slits, and they turned on Temari only briefly before flicking back to the Hokage.

"This is ANBU Bird reporting in," the low voice muttered. "Mission, Code: Rabbit Hunt, was successfully completed."

"That's… that's great," Naruto said with forced cheeriness. "Thank you for your good work."

An expectant silence fell after his words, and the ANBU operative remained kneeling. Temari observed as Naruto and her fiancé exchanged long-suffering glances like they expected this.

Finally, Naruto exhaled noisily through his nose. "ANBU Bird, dismissed."

Bird remained kneeling. "Request for a new mission, Hokage-sama," the ninja said calmly.

Naruto looked distinctly uncomfortable at this. "Te – Bird, you know that was your fifth straight mission, right?"

"I dearly hope that I would know, otherwise I would not be worthy to call myself a ninja serving under you," came to polite reply, though a trace of impatience and anger could be heard. "New mission request."

Shikamru reached a hand up to scratch his head before leaning over to whisper in Naruto's ear. Temari couldn't quite catch what they were saying, but she waited patiently and continued to look at the ANBU agent.

There was something about this person that bothered her, she decided. Firstly, she wasn't even able to tell the gender of this person. Bird had remained facing away from her the entire time, so any chest was indistinguishable. The voice could have been that of man or a woman deliberately lowering her tone. As for the long brown hair… Temari winced. She could think of several people with hair like that, and white eyes flashed in her mind.

That was impossible though, Temari reminded herself. She, along with so many others, had witnessed his death on the battlefield. Besides, it wasn't like Konoha _didn't_ have an abundance of Hyuuga. They all looked the same anyways.

Shikamaru and Naruto finally finished their impromptu conference, and as Shikamaru retreated to the corner of the room, Naruto riffled through his desk. After a few moments of searching, he pulled out a sealed scroll and began handing it over. Before his hand was even over his desk, the scroll was gone and in the hands of the ANBU agent.

Naruto looked unperturbed. "This is an A-rank mission," he began. "It is estimated to take several days to complete, and there will be no partners on it."

The ANBU agent nodded. "That sounds fine."

Temari startled. The monotonous voice she had heard so far changed. It was no longer carefully blank, but there was a hungry edge to it, a thirty longing that stung her heart for some reason. Without even realizing what she was doing, Temari placed a hand over her heart. It hurt…

"Permission to leave, Hokage-sama!" The sharp request snapped through the air, and Temari could practically taste the desperate atmosphere clinging to the agent like a second skin.

For a moment, it seemed like Naruto was going to say something, but a signal from Shikamaru stopped him. He shook his head slowly in despair. "Permission granted."

With a final nod in his direction, the ANBU agent formed a seal and disappeared.

Naruto sagged back in his seat and passed a hand over his eyes. "I hate every time I have to do that," he muttered. His voice sounded aged with sorrow, and it was heavy in pain.

Shikamaru only laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing we can do, you know that."

"Who was that?" Temari burst out. Thinking back on the strange encounter, that agent had seemed to familiar yet so far away. As if… Temari searched her mind for the proper words to describe that nagging feeling. As if one of her old friends had gone away for a long time and returned a different person.

Naruto was silent. There was a pregnant pause before he spoke again. "That was Tenten."

Temari did a double-take. "What?" she exclaimed loudly. "That's…" she searched for the right words.

"Crazy?" Shikamru interjected wryly. "Absurd? Unbelievable?" A frown tugged at his lips. "That's what we all thought."

Naruto jiggled his knee nervously. "It started a bit after the war," he began nervously. His eyes darted from side to side as if looking for something that wasn't there. "Konoha had just gotten up and running again, and we needed all the help we could get. Tenten was accepted into the ANBU easily since no one had the time to test anyone." He laughed miserably. "None of us noticed at first…"

When Naruto lapsed into silence, Shikamaru took over. He lit a cigarette and placed it between his chapped lips. Smoke curled up from the end and wafted lazily through the air, much like Shikamaru himself. "She started taking a lot of dangerous missions." He inhaled and gustily released another cloud of smoke. "Doing them alone, taking them frequently, not being careful…" The cigarette fell to the ground, and Shikamaru crushed it beneath his foot angrily. "We couldn't understand until Kakashi told us."

"What does Kakashi- " Temari cut herself off and watched as Naruto's blue eyes suddenly became so tired. They looked ancient and far too hurt to belong to someone as vibrant as Naruto.

" 'I have only two things in my life: my love and my village,' " Shikamaru said quietly. His hands were now clasped behind his back. " 'I lost my lover in the war. There's nothing left for me but the village, yet I don't want to live anymore.' " He turned a steady gaze onto Temari, and she felt chills go down her back. " 'I will die in service for the village.' "

Temari shuddered. "Is… is that what she thinks?" she asked tentatively.

Shikamaru scoffed. "Apparently. It sure seems like it." Abruptly, he waved a hand at her and motioned toward the door. "Shoo, we've still got work to do."

Temari bristled but felt her temper sink back down when she looked into Shikamaru's eyes. She merely nodded and stepped out of the room.

With a sigh, Temari leaned against the door. "Dying for the village, huh," she muttered to herself. Turning those words over in her head, Temari found herself reliving those moments in the final battle. Attacking the Jyuubi, the sense of hopelessness when Gaara _still_ hadn't returned, seeing Madara resurrected, and when Naruto wasn't able to move, the wooden spikes, and the blood-

Temari dragged herself out of the memories with a shake of her head. The kernel of an idea that had been planted as soon as she heard the female ANBU's name had now hardened and sprouted.

"For some reason, I don't think that Hyuuga of hers would want to see her this way," she said grimly. Pushing past the two startled Chunin, Temari snarled viciously while stomping down the stairs. "Dying for the village indeed! It seems like that blasted weapon's girl needs a reminder of who she is."

* * *

**Written by** **Say-theLastWord**


	4. In Their Hearts (II)

**In Their Hearts (II)**

* * *

At last, the storm had broken, the first rays of the sun shining down through the overcast sky onto the village below. The light glistened off the shining droplets of moisture attached to everything, creating a sparkle that seemed to encompass everything in Konoha.

The twittering of birds filled the air, contrasting the solemn air of the gathering that was taking place near the memorial stone. The black-clothed mourners stood, heedless of their soaked clothing, gazing at the dark coffin and framed picture that sat beneath a low awning.

Inuzuka Kiba coughed, clearing his throat. His companion, Akamaru, whined from beside him as the dog-nin began speaking.

"I think I've always been jealous of Neji. Everyone hailed him as a genius, a prodigy, the greatest Hyuuga to be born in generations. He was always better than us at everything, even if he was a stuck up prick. When I first saw him, I never thought that he could have changed. I never thought that he could become what he had become. I never thought that he could become somebody who would jump in front of Naruto, of all people, and take a hit for him."

He coughed and blinked slightly. "Heh," he chuckled. "It's not like me to get all emotional over a cold guy like Neji. I guess what I really wanted to say about him is that… he was a good guy. I may not have liked him, but I respected him. Especially after the Chuunin Exams, and he stayed behind to fight that freaky arm guy. And then he became jonin first out of all of us. He really lived up to his title of genius. And then, over time, I think that respect turned into a genuine fondness. Team Gai was the only team who wasn't in our year, and yet they were known as part of the Konoha Eleven. He really was a part of our comrades, and I came to view him as a friend. And I know for sure, now that he's gone, that I'm gonna miss him."

Kiba bowed his head and walked back to the others, a hand dropping to his side to pat Akamaru comfortingly as the large dog continued to whine. Coming to a halt next to Chouji, the dog-nin gestured the Akimichi heir forward, but Chouji shook his head. Subtly, he gestured towards the two people kneeling on the ground, and Kiba sighed, nodding in understanding. Some things had to be said now, and his own words weren't among those.

#

Standing solemnly from where he was comforting the crying kunoichi, Rock Lee, looking uncharacteristically serious dressed in black mourning clothes, made his way to where his fallen teammate lay inside the black coffin. The taijutsu specialist stood there, silent, for a long time.

"He was always my target," he began finally. "The person that I wanted to surpass. The Hyuuga genius. At first, I didn't really see him as a teammate. I saw him as a rival, someone that I had to strive to compete against. I realize now that that view of him was wrong. He was more than a rival. He was more than just somebody that I had to beat. He…" Lee paused, swiping a hand roughly across his eyes.

"He… he was a… most youthful…" he choked, and tears began trickling down his cheek. "A most youthful…" Unable to go on, Lee could only stand and let tears fall from his eyes to hit the ground. "Dammit, Neji…"

Sakura laid a comforting hand on Lee's shoulder. "It's alright," she whispered. "It's alright to cry." The others could only watch as Neji's teammate stood before the fallen Hyuuga, grieving. There were no words to be said that could comfort Lee. He had lost something irreplaceable.

#

Finally, it was her turn. She knew instinctively that it was her turn. Everyone else had said their piece. And of course, she was last. She was the closest to him, after all. Even closer than Lee had been. Not bothering to wipe the tears from her face, she stood from where she had been kneeling on the ground, ignoring the dark stains that had spread on the knees of her black clothes from the dampness of the ground. Mustering all her strength to her legs, she made her way slowly, haltingly, to where _his_ body lay.

All of a sudden, everything seemed to fade away. The others seemed to disappear from her consciousness, so that all that the only things that existed were her and the dark wooden box that held the body of her precious person. She gazed into the open coffin.

He looked so peaceful. A small smile graced his lips, a sight rarely seen on the face of the stoic Hyuuga. His eyes were shut. Just as well. She didn't think she could bear seeing those piercing white eyes, eyes that seemed to stare into her heart every time she looked into them.

His forehead. Bare. Unmarked. Free of the seal that had caged him all his life. Just like he was free now. Free of the burden that had tied him to an inescapable fate. Free from the things that caged him, like a bird, to the will of others. Free, just like the birds that flew above, twittering and chirping.

He had always liked birds. After training together, he would always sit there, still, and listen to the sounds of birds. He would gaze into the sky and simply watch as the birds as they flew overhead. He would envy their freedom, their ability to soar, unchained and unrestrained. He would confide, when he was sure that nobody was around to see his moments of vulnerability, his moments of weakness. He would confide in her of the thoughts that ran through his head. His deepest thoughts, musings, desires.

She remembered the last time they had had such a conversation. It was before the start of the war. They had talked of the future. _Their _future. A future together. A future that could never be.

She felt her eyes grow moist again, a droplet of salty liquid trickling down her cheek, dripping onto his pale cheek. As if that first tear were a trigger, more began to leak from her eyes, dripping onto his face. She remembered the times where he had held her close, where he had whispered tenderly in her ear, where he had showed her a side of him that nobody had ever seen. She remembered when he had spoken those three words, those three beautiful words, to her. She remembered the promise that he had made, a promise that he had broken. The last one that he would break in his life.

"I loved you, Neji," she whispered, his voice broken. "All I wanted to do after the war was over was to live with you, peacefully. The world's at peace now… but…" a sob left her throat. "You aren't here to see it… You aren't here to live in it… with me… like you promised…"

_"I'll be with you, always. This I promise."_

The wind whistled as it blew through the crowd, ruffling clothes and hair, and she stiffened as she heard a faint voice on the breeze. _"Always…"_

Suddenly surrounded by a feeling of warmth despite the chilly breeze, Tenten smiled through her tears, placing a hand over her chest. "Yeah," she said softly, stroking Neji's pale cheek tenderly, wiping away the tears that had fallen on to his face with her thumb. "You'll be with me, always. In my heart." She looked up at the rest of the Konoha Eleven. "In our hearts."

* * *

**Written by Fokker333**


	5. From A Long Time

**From a Long Time**

* * *

It was not yet dawn. The sun had not yet peeked her face over the horizon, and only wisps of her hair peeked over the face of the first Hokage to light to village in the barest tendrils of light.

It was the picture of peace and tranquility as children slept soundly in their beds, parents lay at rest, and no one stirred. Birds were snuggling next to one another in their nests, well rested and content. All was well –

"LET THE FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY!"

Several birds squawked loudly before taking off with loud calls of alarm. The yell decimated the quiet landscape and shattered the serene image originally presented. The instigator of this sudden chaos, you ask?

One spandex-clad man decked out in the green. Maito Gai stood proudly in Training Ground 18 with his hands on his hips and a sparkling grin on his face. His shiny black hair glistened in the weak light, and one could practically smell the enthusiasm rolling off of his body.

… or maybe that was the sweat.

In stark contrast to Gai, two weary children stood in front of him. One, a young girl with her brown hair done up in two buns, was still fumbling with the buttons on her pink outfit. The other, a male, was glaring angrily at Gai. His usually impeccable hair was ruffled and messy, random flyaway strands sticking out from the top of his head.

It was, all in all, a rather strange image, but one that the residents of Konoha had long since gotten used to.

Gai grinned at his students and sucked in another deep breath. "GOOD MORNING, NEJI AND TENTEN, MY BRIGHT STUDENTS!" he bellowed with all his strength.

Tenten groaned and covered her ears while Neji merely lifted his nose in disdain. The two were long since used to their teacher's eccentric behavior, but they didn't like it.

"I am so glad to see you burning with the flames of youth so early in the morning!" Gai continued, but he had lowered his voice down to a somewhat manageable decibel level. "In fact, Neji, you look particularly youthful with your new hairstyle!"

Neji glared stiffly at the man while Tenten stuffed a fist in her mouth to keep herself from bursting out into giggles. Then, slowly, Neji lifted a hand and deliberately smoothed down his hair.

Gai was blissfully unaware of the anger directed toward him and went on cheerfully. "Now, we have some special training today! It is time for me to test how far our team's teamwork was progressed, and as of such, I will be testing you two today!"

Tenten tentatively raised a hand. "Excuse me, Gai-sensei, but where's Lee?" The lack of their teacher's copy was conspicuously absent.

"Alas, the most youthful Lee has suffered the most grievous injury and is not able to practice with us today!"

"Is he okay?" Tenten asked with concern etched across her face. Neji, on the other hand, looked as though he would care more about an ant crossing his path.

"He is fine; the healers at the hospital said it was a mere sprain, but he is forbidden from practicing for today!" Gai's smile faltered at the thought of his precious student injured, but it returned in full force. "So! Since we are lacking Lee, I thought that you two could use this time for some training with one another!"

"Didn't you just say that you'd be testing us on our teamwork?" Neji interjected. His pale eyes narrowed, and he crossed his bandaged arms across his chest. "I fail to see how training with weaklings like Tenten will demonstrate how far we've come."

Tenten felt an eyebrow twitch, but she didn't comment on the insult.

"Ah, that is where you are wrong, young Neji!" Gai bounded forward and leapt into the air before landing in one of his celebrated poses. "Understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses as well as how to help the other improve is the basis of all teamwork! How can you be strong together if you can't fight each other?" With those words, Gai sprang up once again and disappeared into the foliage. "I will be watching, students!"

Tenten and Neji scowled in unison. Tenten glanced at Neji for a second before turning away and inwardly cursing her luck. Of course she had gotten stuck with the insane teacher, the hardworking but poorly-skilled bottom-of-the-class student, and the handsome but arrogant top of the class. Really, all Tenten wanted was to become a top kunoichi like Tsunade, but with these teammates, could she be expected to succeed?

At her side, Neji snorted. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get started." He turned and stalked toward clearing imperiously, his brown hair swaying as he walked. Tenten idly wondered at how soft his hair looked before trotting after him quickly.

"Let's spar," Neji said. Turning on his heel, he spread his arms into the classic Hyuuga stance and calmly waited for her first attack. His eyes were focused, but he hadn't activated his Byakugan yet.

Tenten scowled, well aware that she was being looked down on. Still, she positioned herself into a standard taijutsu pose and prepared to strike. Her hands itched for a weapon, but Tenten quickly tried to shake this desire off. Tsunade did not fight with weapons, and if she wanted to be like her idol, then she couldn't rely on those anymore.

Wind whistled between them as they stared each other down until one word from the male broke that fragile tension.

"Come."

Tenten leapt into action. She ran forward and thrust a first at Neji's face. He blocked, but she ducked under his incoming palm and swept a leg under him, aiming at his knees. Swinging with all her might, Tenten half expected to hear the satisfying crunch, but her leg only met empty air. She scowled.

Neji lightly flipped himself into a crouch several feet away and smirked at Tenten. The sight of those lips curled up made her blood boil, and she threw herself at him once more.

The battle continued in this vein for a while. Tenten would constantly attack, but Neji evaded all of her attacks and parried strongly. Tenten could feel her stamina slipping, and despair threatened to overwhelm her.

_This is bad_, she thought wildly as she attempted to hit Neji. He dodged her arm and chopped at her forearm. _This is really bad._ Even as Tenten thought this, her body suddenly shuddered to a halt, and she dropped to the ground.

"Wha-?"

Sprawled on the ground, Tenten looked up to see Neji standing cockily over her. She turned her head with difficulty and tried to move her arms, her legs, _anything_, but they wouldn't even twitch.

"I've struck all of the major pressure points on your body," Neji said smugly. His pale eyes seemed to mock her. "You won't be able to move for another good five minutes."

"That's impossible!" Tenten snarled. She could somehow feel the truth in his words but didn't want to believe them. "You haven't even activated your Byakugan, so you can't see where they are!"

"I don't need to see them," came the arrogant reply. "I don't even need to activate my bloodline limit on someone like you."

Mortification swept over Tenten like a wave. How could she possibly hope to become as great as Tsunade when her own teammate didn't spar her seriously?

"Why are you fighting?"

Tenten blinked and strained to look up at Neji. "What?"

"Why are you fighting like this?" Neji's expression was serious, and he stared down with curiosity etched on his face. "It's clear from your actions that you're used to having a longer reach and not fighting with your bare hands. I'd say that you're even more of a mid-range fighter, so why are you trying to do close combat?"

Tenten's cheeks burned, and she glared away from the Hyuuga. Knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to escape his persistence, Tenten muttered something under her breath.

Neji leaned down so the ends of his hair were tickling her bare neck. "I couldn't quite hear what you said; care to repeat?"

"I said," Tenten began hotly. "That I'm trying to fight like Tsunade-sama. It's my dream to become a great kunoichi like her, and everyone knows that Tsunade-sama doesn't fight with weapons."

Neji blinked twice before letting out a small snort. Tenten scowled at him. "What's so funny?" she demanded. "Are you going to make fun of my dreams like everyone else? Think that the poor, penniless orphan can't possibly become as great as one of the Sannin?" Years of teasing echoed through her mind, and to her utter mortification, Tenten felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I didn't say that."

Um, what?

"It's true that no one's fate can be changed," Neji said, his face oddly sad. Tenten couldn't stop herself from staring; she had never seen her stoic teammate look so… lost. "Some people have their lives mapped out from the beginning of time, and no one can change the flow of a river. Some birds are just meant to be caged."

Tenten didn't know why, but an odd sensation was filling her chest at his words. She felt pain and agony from the bitter words streaming from Neji's mouth, and instead of snapping back, Tenten listened.

"A loser will stay a loser, but no one has to be someone else. Even if they look exactly alike, you can't exchange one life for another." At these words, a terrible expression of anger and grief took its place on Neji's face, and Tenten felt her breath leave her in a whoosh.

"You can't be Tsuande, Tenten. You will never be Tsunade." Tenten opened her mouth to angrily refute Neji's harsh words, but he swept on without even taking another breath. "But you can be greater than her. You can have your own style and become known in your own way. It is not your fate to be Tsunade's heir. You can stand on your own."

Neji's enchanting eyes locked with Tenten's brown, and they stared at one another for a long time.

The sun finally rose in all of her glory, spreading her dress of light over the forest. Dappled shadows appeared on the ground, and green beams shone through the leaves. A flock of birds flew overhead, and Tenten felt an odd liberation sweep through her.

As much as she hated to admit it, Neji was right. Tenten had been trying too hard to prove herself by becoming someone she clearly wasn't. Tsunade fought with her fists and was a skilled healer. _Tenten_ worked with weapons, the beautiful steel that flashed through the air and the soft sing of metal flying in her hands.

Tenten flexed her hand and found that the feeling had returned. Neji noticed as well and nodded in approval. He backed away and waited for her to wobble up and stand again. Then, with his infamous smirk firmly in place, he raised both hands.

"Show me what you can do, weapon's mistress Tenten."

The command filled Tenten with a sense of jubilation and glee. Reaching into her back pocket, she hurled a scroll into the air and leapt up after it.

This was the start of a something brilliant.

* * *

**Written by Say-theLastWord.**

PS - if anyone couldn't tell, this was written from the time period right after they became genin. This is also before Tenten and Neji began their sparring sessions.


	6. Together

**Together**

* * *

Tenten blinked, biting back a moan of pain. Blearily trying to focus her blurry eyesight, she stared at the source of the pain that was currently shooting through her body like a dozen kunai stabbed into various points of her torso.

…Oh.

"Damn," the weapons mistress muttered as she eyed the dozen kunai stabbed into various points of her torso. Her trained eye quickly examined each weapon, taking in the workmanship and quality of each weapon. She took comfort in the fact that at least they were top quality weapons.

Exhaling hard through her nose, Tenten blinked back tears of pain. Craning her head to look around at her surroundings and finding nobody else around, she cursed at her misfortune. Judging from the placement and severity of the wounds, if she didn't get help soon she would bleed out.

"Of all the times to be out alone on a recon mission," she muttered, reaching for the first of the kunai. She first realized that something was seriously wrong when her vision blurred again, her hand dropping limply to her side as all strength left her limbs.

A sickly sweet smell filtered through her ANBU mask, and Tenten knew that she was well and truly screwed.

"Poison," she said, her words becoming slurred as the deadly substance worked its way through her body, paralyzing her body and wreaking havoc on her nervous system. "Dammit."

It was in that instant that she knew that she was going to die, alone in the woods, succumbing to poison that some missing-nin had cooked up. And it was in that same instant that she realized, having not contemplated the whole idea of death too much, that she didn't really care.

She had never known her parents. Found on some doorstep when she was barely old enough to crawl, she had been raised in an orphanage and, as soon as she was old enough, had joined the Academy to become a shinobi. Even then, she hadn't been close to anybody. It was only until she had joined her genin team that she had truly found companionship.

And then he died.

Just when she finally thought that somebody cared for her, that somebody could actually _love_ her, and that she loved somebody else, he had to go and get himself killed protecting Naruto.

And now it was her turn.

She was going to die.

She turned that thought over in her mind as the world spun around her. There was no apprehension. There was no fear. Only peace. The realization that she would no longer exist in this world didn't scare her. It didn't sadden her. In fact, she realized with a start, she was kind of looking forward to the end.

"Neji…" she whispered. She shut her eyes, thinking back to her last moment with the man that she loved – still loves. "Don't worry, Neji… I'll be there soon…"

A warm wind blew through the forest clearing as the final breath of Konoha's weapons mistress left her body.

#

She blinked, opening her eyes. Strange… if this was the afterlife, it was awfully… similar to life.

She looked around at the endless trees. Glancing down at herself, she noticed that she was no longer dressed in her ANBU gear. Instead, she was clad in the same outfit that she had worn while _he_ was still alive: white top, red pants, fingerless black gloves. Strangely, her forehead protector was missing, as was the large sealing scroll that she usually had slung behind her back.

She frowned. The afterlife was nothing like she had imagined. Somehow, she had imagined more white, not this forest that looked suspiciously like the woods near Team Ten's old training grounds.

That thought made her stiffen suddenly as she remembered Team Ten. _Neji_. Jerking upright, the weapon's mistress began running through the woods, and as the trees grew familiar again, a thrill of hope ran through her body. If there was anywhere in this strange place she would find him, it would be there.

Bursting through the foliage, Tenten jerked to a sudden halt. There, in that same clearing, sitting in the same spot he always used to, was Neji. She choked back a sob as she caught a glimpse of his white Hyuuga eyes, his forehead clear and free of the Caged Bird Seal.

There was someone else, too, another man, slightly taller than Neji, sitting with his back to the weapon's mistress. The two were conversing in friendly tones, and Tenten stiffened when she heard snatches of their conversation.

"…always caged…"

"…envied the birds…"

"…didn't really regret…"

"…Father…"

She let out a gasp of surprise at that last one, and they must have heard her, because the conversation stopped, both men turning to look at her.

Tenten examined the other man who, now that she could see his face, was clearly Neji's father. The two were almost spitting images of each other, and she found herself smiling at the fact that Neji had been able to finally meet his father again.

"Tenten," Neji said softly, jerking her out of her reverie.

"Neji," she breathed, taking a step into the familiar clearing.

The Hyuuga frowned. "So… you died too," he said, sadness in his voice. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" Tenten said, walking closer to him. "I'm not."

Neji sighed. "It's just that… it would've been nicer if you had lived longer… if you had been able to enjoy your life…"

A small spark of anger ignited within the kunoichi. "Really?" she said heatedly. "Enjoy life, you say? And what exactly was there for me to enjoy?"

Neji looked surprised as she continued, her anger growing with every word. "In case you forgot, I was _alone_." Now they were face to face, and she jabbed a finger into his chest. "I was an _orphan_, just some worthless, useless street urchin. And then I joined the academy, joined Team Ten, and I finally found people who cared. I finally found somebody who _loved_ me. And then you went and _died_, and there wasn't _anything to live for!_"

She was screaming now, tears that she hadn't realized she was crying running down her cheeks as she clutched the front of his shirt. After years without him, seeing him now suddenly reopened all the wounds that she had thought had long since healed.

She let out a startled breath as she felt warm arms encompass her, and a tender voice whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry," Neji murmured, a hand reaching up and stroking her hair. She had stopped wearing it in buns, instead letting it down in a style like how he had used to wear his own.

"_You're_ sorry?" Tenten asked, although most of her anger had vanished at those two simple words. "You're apologizing? You never apologize."

Neji smirked, some of his old personality showing through, and Tenten found herself grinning through her tears. "Things have changed a little," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to the other man.

"This is my father, Hyuuga Hizashi," Neji introduced, and Tenten bowed respectfully to the older Hyuuga. "When I was very young, he sacrificed himself in the place of his brother, my uncle, Hiashi-sama when Kumo demanded his head for killing their head shinobi."

"So you're the young lady that my son's talked so much about," Hizashi said, his stern visage breaking into a soft smile. "I've wished very much to meet you for a while now, although it is regrettable that our meeting is in such… circumstances," he finished, gesturing vaguely around himself.

Tenten laughed. "It's alright," she said. "I was really telling the truth when I said that in life nobody really loved me..." She looked sad for a moment, but then perked up. "But that doesn't really matter now," she said.

"Very well," Hizashi said, observing his son and this girl together, arms wrapped around each other. "I'll leave you two alone to catch up then. It was good talking with you, son." He turned and walked out of the clearing, vanishing into the trees.

It was just the two of them. Neji quirked a small smile at the weapon's mistress. "I missed you," he said quietly. "Being dead was… boring, to say the least. At least I found my father to talk with."

"Yeah…" Tenten murmured, content to settle in Neji's embrace. "I'm happy for you, Neji," she said, gazing into his soulful pale eyes. "I really am."

"And I'm happy right now," Neji said. "Because you're here too."

The small smile that graced the Hyuuga's face widened, and he leaned forward, capturing Tenten's lips in his own. And the two were content to simply stand there, basking in each other's presence. They were together, and that was all that really mattered in the end.

* * *

**Written by Fokker333**


	7. Beautiful Lie

**Beautiful Lie**

* * *

Tenten blinked as she read the missions scroll in her hand. "Why aren't Gai-sensei and Lee going on this mission?" she asked the ANBU who had handed the Hokage summons scroll to her.

"Hokage-sama did not inform me of the details of the mission," the ANBU answered tonelessly. "I suggest you ask her yourself."

Tenten nodded in acknowledgement, and the ANBU body-flickered away. She read through the scroll again to make sure that she hadn't missed anything. She hadn't.

"Hokage-sama," she said, walking into the Hokage's office briskly. "Why are Gai-sensei and Lee not going on this mission?"

"I sent them on another one," Tsunade replied, busily stamping papers. "You'll be fine without them. Now get out of here, I have paperwork to finish."

Saluting, Tenten backed away from the irate Hokage and left the building. Outside, Neji raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"They're on another mission, apparently," Tenten sighed. "Guess that explains why we haven't seen them around in a while."

"Hn," the stoic Hyuuga grunted. "So, when do we leave for this mission?"

"In two hours," she replied. "Plenty of time to pack and get ready."

They arrived at her apartment and Neji stood by as the kunoichi fumbled with the lock. Finally, the door clicked open and the two entered.

Neji cast a critical eye around the jumbled living room, weapons and other sharp object adorning the walls. "This place could use some cleaning up," he remarked. "Better interior decoration too."

Tenten scoffed. "It's not like anyone comes here except me and you," she said. "Speaking of which, why the hell are you in my apartment?"

"Because you wanted me to."

Tenten shrugged. "Whatever," she said, dropping the issue. She reached down and tugged her civilian shirt over her head, tossing it carelessly aside. It landed on the couch, alongside various other random articles of clothing.

Neji wrinkled his nose in distaste. "It would be easier for you to find things if you had a better sense of organization," he pointed out. "Also, why are you undressing in front of me?"

Clad in only a bra and panties, Tenten turned to look at the Hyuuga, who was completely calm and composed. "Come on," she said. "It's not like you haven't seen any of it before. Besides, I'm rather proud of my body. What, you don't like it?" She pretended to be insulted.

"I am a bit uncomfortable at the idea of you showing off your body," Neji admitted. "After all, if you do it with me, who knows who else has seen you?"

"Che," the kunoichi scoffed, tugging on a pair of comfortable and functional pants in preparation for the mission. "Nobody. Only you. It's always been you." This was said with no hesitation whatsoever.

"I'm flattered," Neji said drily. Suddenly his face became serious. "Tenten," he said, his tone of voice catching her attention.

"Hm?" she asked from where she was strapping kunai holsters to her thigh. "What's up?"

"You should stop," he said simply, causing the weapon's mistress to tense.

"Stop what?" she asked slowly, her voice deceptively light and casual, as if she didn't know what the Hyuuga genius was talking about.

"Don't pretend that you don't know," Neji snapped uncharacteristically. "You should stop… this." He gestured around vaguely. "It's not good for you."

"Shizune gave me a clean bill of health!" Tenten snapped. "I haven't even relapsed since that last time four months ago!"

"You need to let go," Neji said deliberately, quietly. "It's for your own good."

"I _have_ let go!" she yelled, dropping the sealing scroll in her hands to the cluttered table. "I _have _let go!"

"Then why am I here?" Neji asked. Tenten went silent. "Why?" he persisted.

"Because I want you to be!" she screamed, tears now running down her face. "Are you happy now, Neji? Are you happy to hear it? I loved you!"

Neji said nothing, his expression sad as he watched her.

"You're here because I don't want to lose you!" she continued. "I don't care what everyone else says. I don't care what everyone else thinks! I just want you here with me!"

"You know you can't have that," he said gently. "It's already been two years. How long can you continue to lie to yourself? You need to let go, to move on."

"You _would_ say that," she said, hiccupping slightly. "When we were alone, you always would try for the best for me."

"I loved you too, Tenten," Neji said quietly. "But it's time to let go," he repeated.

Her eyes flared and her hand shot out, grabbing a kunai from the table. In an instant his fingers were wrapped around her wrist, preventing her from moving. Slowly, he pushed up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a row of cuts.

"How long are you going to keep doing this to yourself?" he asked sadly, looking at the scars, each one standing starkly white against her pale skin. "How longa re you going to lie to yourself?"

"I don't know," she sobbed, her fingers growing limp. The kunai fell from her grasp, landing with a thud in the wooden floorboards. "I don't know, Neji." Her hands balled up on his chest, grasping at the fabric of his shirt.

"I don't want to see you like this, Tenten," he said, his pale eyes gazing into her tear-filled brown ones. "You know that. I've always wanted the best for you. I still do."

"How can I live without you?" she wailed. "You've always been there whenever I was troubled. You were always there to comfort me. How can I just let that go?"

He gently pried her fingers from his shirt. "It's easier than you think," he murmured, bringing her head to his chest comfortingly. "You've already been doing it for the two years, after all."

She laughed through her tears. "I guess that's true," she said gently.

He patted her back. "You're strong," he whispered tenderly into her ear. "You can do it. I know you can." He ran his fingers through her long brown hair, let down from her traditional buns into a style identical to his. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah," she agreed, pulling out of the embrace. "You're right. I am strong. I made it this far, haven't I?" she asked with a chuckle. "…Thanks," she said, looking straight into his eyes. "I needed that."

He laughed. "I know you did," he said with a smile. "I always do," he whispered.

Tenten turned away, buckling the standard-issue armor. When she turned back, mask in hand, he was gone.

"I love you, Neji," she said quietly, the words hanging in the still air of her empty apartment. "I'll never forget you."

She slipped her mask on, and ANBU Bird walked out of the apartment, the door closing behind her with a click.

* * *

**Written by Fokker333**


	8. The Flutterings of Wings

**The Flutterings of Wings**

* * *

It was decidedly out of character for him to be doing this, he mused as he leaned back against the large tree that stood in the middle of the clearing that they usually trained in. Such activities as sitting and thinking were usually reserved for a certain lazy genius. But he decided that such small moments of peace and quiet, moments where he could just sit and think, free of the worries of life, were precious.

Freedom. He frowned slightly at the word. It was a concept that he intellectually knew, but never really understood, given his background. He wondered what it was like to be free. Free of constraints, the shackles of the will of others. Free of… fate?

His frown deepened. Was it possible, he wondered, to be free of fate? He had always prided himself on his own practicality, but an underlying concept always seemed to resurface. Fate. The belief that an individual's life was decided beforehand, based on their positions in life.

He had been brought up with the belief that nobody could change. Losers would remain losers. Prodigies would always rise higher than the rest. He found himself thinking back to the instance that first caused that belief to waver. How had that idiot, the dead last, surpassed him, he who was hailed as the greatest prodigy in the clan in generations?

He thought back to the fight and found himself envying the blond idiot. How wonderful it must be, to be able to decide one's own destiny! His hand reached up, brushing against the forehead protector that hid the seal emblazoned on his forehead. How wonderful it must be, he thought bitterly, to be free.

He would never be free. Deep inside himself, he knew this to be the truth. Such was the fate of a branch house member, to be forever enslaved and shackled by the seal that bound him to the will of others.

Who was it that really controlled him? For all his life he had believed that it was the elders, the members of the main house that had power over the branch house. For all his life he had believed that his fate was at the mercy of those who could, with a single word, end his life.

He thought back to another fight, one that seemed to have little significance other than to piss off a certain blond. A startled realization came to him then as he recalled the battle. Not once did his cousin, the heir of the clan, even consider activating the seal. The act could have easily been explained away as a clan matter, and the incident would be subjected to no further investigation. Instead, the clan heir, she who would forever be above him because of his position, _chose_, with her own free will, to stand and fight with her own power, not the power granted by his soul.

Yet, he thought frustratedly as his mind wandered back to the idiot blond, why was it that one could escape fate, to rise above the position life had put them in? It was so contradictory!

He sharp eyes caught the fluttering of birds high above him, and, in a rare moment of temper, he slammed his fist into the tree. Jealousy flooded his being, envy at the birds, free to soar high above the earth, unbound by the gravity that chained everything else to the ground. Again and again he slammed his first into the rough bark, heedless of the blood that trickled down from his torn knuckles, dripping into the grass and staining it crimson.

Exhaling slowly, he struggled to reign in his emotions. Enough was enough, he reprimanded himself. He could not change his fate.

No. He clenched his fist, gazing at the dark liquid that oozed from mangled flesh. He could change his fate. Determination filled him, washing out the jealousy and anger that had filled him mere moments ago. He would change his fate, or he would die trying.

A thought struck him. Was that not what his father had done? Chosen his own fate? Died by his own choosing? Freedom. He slowly began to understand his fatehr's decision now. He had willingly sacrificed himself. The freedom of choosing his own death…

His lips quirked into a small smile. Yes, he decided, standing and dusting off his clothes. Wrapping his bleeding hand in a bandage, he turned his gaze skyward, looking at the birds. He would be free.

The soft crunch of feet on leaves drew his attention, and he turned, catching the eye of his bun-haired teammate who had just entered the clearing. Meeting her concerned look at his bandaged hand with his own, he smiled.

Her tense shoulders relaxed and she matched his smile with one of her own. "Ready?" she asked.

He nodded. "Let's go."

As the sound of sparring filled the woods, Neji laughed, a carefree, happy laugh. Yes, he mused, joy coursing through his veins as he felt the weight on his shoulders lift. He would choose his own fate. He would be free.

* * *

**Written by Fokker333**

* * *

**Hey guys. So a quick note to everyone. My sister and I have been out of the country for a few days, which is why we didn't update for a while. So here are two quick one-shots, which are a bit shorter than usual, that I wrote on the trip. I hope you enjoy both of them, since I definitely enjoyed writing them. **

**Also, who else is happy that NaruHina seems to actually be happening? I know I am! Although I'm sorry that Neji had to die for it to happen. But that's why I'm writing these, right? So once again, enjoy!**

**~fokker333**


	9. Song of the Caged Bird

**Song of the Caged Bird**

* * *

bitter

angry

resentful

a bird trapped

in a cage

longing to spread its wings

longing to rise

into the heavens

only

to fall

bound

the chains of

fate

unbreakable

indomitable

eternal

he endures

what can he do?

forever chained

like the caged bird

life

is not worth living

like this

he endures

freedom? foreign

unknown

unexperienced

what is it like?

to be able to chose

to be able to do

anything he wants

he endures

pain

crimson spurts

shock and

anguish

dulls to nothing

fades away

bitterness

resentment

anger

melts

gives way to relief

understanding

how sweet it is

a lifetime of captivity

the first taste of liberty

fading eyes

short breath

pumping blood

a small, tired smile

no tears

no regrets

no anger

no fear

it's okay

he endures

a final breath

a final sigh

that rattles

the hearts of men

the caged bird

is free

* * *

**Written by Fokker333**


	10. A Game of Reflexes

**A Game of Reflexes**

* * *

"I refuse to do this," Neji said bluntly, crossing his arms and looking down at his teammates seated around a small table on which a deck of playing cards lay, neatly dealt into three equal hands.

"Aw, come on, Neji!" Tenten said. "I think it'll be fun!" She grinned. "Besides, it'll be good training to test our reflexes."

Neji frowned minutely. "I hardly consider playing this… _Egyptian Ratscrew_ game training."

"You've never played it before," Tenten retorted. "How would you know what it is or isn't?"

"Yes! Come, Neji!" hollered Lee, leaping into the air enthusiastically. "Play with us! Let us test our youthfulness in this most youthful competition of skill and wit!"

Neji glared at Tenten and Lee for teaming up against him, but the combination of Lee's blinding – he refused to call it youthfulness – enthusiasm and the puppy eyes Tenten was giving him, along with the fact that he knew that they would continue to beg no matter how much he declined, finally made him cave.

"Fine," he acquiesced in annoyance, uncrossing his arms and sitting down at the table. "But only once. I have better things to do that take part in childish games."

Tenten rolled her eyes at his insufferable attitude while Lee leapt into the air again, babbling something about youthfulness. Neji only sighed, picking up his hand of cards. "Explain," he demanded, his pale eyes boring into his only sane teammate's chocolate brown ones.

"Well," she began, "The goal of the game is to win all the cards. We around in a circle and, without looking at our cards, each play one card per turn. When one of the three face cards or the Ace are played, the next player has a certain number of chances to play another face card or an Ace. If an Ace is played, the next player has four chances; a King, three; a Queen, two; and a Jack, one. With me so far?"

"Hn," Neji said. "It sounds like it has little to do with reflexes."

Tenten huffed. "I'm getting there," she said exasperatedly, "just be patient. Anyways, there are other ways to win a hand. If two same cards are played in a row, then you try and slap the pile. The first person to slap the pile wins it. You also slap the pile if there's a 'sandwich', which is one card, followed by a different one, and then the same card again."

"Ridiculous," Neji scoffed. "Whoever came up with the names for this foolish game was clearly insane."

She rolled her eyes again. "Don't be so quick to judge when you haven't even played it yet," she chided. "Come on. Let's play."

"Hn."

…

"LEE!"

#

"Looks like it's just you and me, huh?" Tenten said, quirking an eyebrow at her stoic teammate while Lee sobbed in the corner, having been quickly eliminated from the game, his cards neatly taken and split between Neji and Tenten in a series of deft plays.

Neji looked at his deck of cards, then to hers. He figured that they were pretty much even, in terms of numbers of cards. However, he knew that he was in possession of three of four Jacks, two of the Queens, all four Kings, and two Aces. That put him in the upper hand for the face cards, each and every one an opportunity to win more cards from his teammate.

On the other hand, Tenten had multiple sets of doubles, which could pop up any time, a chance for her to win back the advantage, since the doubles rule superseded the face card rules.

Neji smirked as Tenten huffed in frustration as she lost a Queen and an Ace to one of his Jacks. If he remembered correctly, one of her pairs of Tens would be coming up soon. Leaning forward subtly so that his long hair covered the side of his face, he pumped chakra into his eyes. _"Byakugan!"_

Flicking his gaze to the cards that Tenten held in her calloused, skilled fingers, he quickly picked out the pair of Tens, slipped between an Ace and an Eight. Perfect.

His keen observation skills and perfect memory told him that he had a King coming up in his deck. That would be when he would make his move.

Deft fingers flickered and cards flew as the Gentle Fist prodigy and weapons mistress dueled over a deck of cards.

Four.

Seven.

Five.

Tenten's fingers, so accustomed to throwing kunai and shuriken and wielding other sharp, deadly weapons, flicked out, the anticipated Ace flying out and landing on the pile with a small _thump_.

Two.

Six

_King_.

Neji's keen eyes gazed into Tenten's, and he knew that she was also anticipating the pair of Tens. Their stares locked, and Tenten grinned. The first of the Tens dropped from her long fingers onto the pile.

"Reflexes?" Neji said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Tenten.

She grinned. "Reflexes," she whispered, and the card fell.

#

Her hand felt warm on his, and Neji couldn't help but notice how well her fingers fit between his own, her smooth tan skin, occasionally marred by pale white lines, scars that she had sustained on missions, resting against his own.

"I win," he said, his lips curving upward in a small smile.

Tenten's heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she was afraid that Neji could hear it. She was acutely aware of his hand beneath hers, their fingers intertwined above the pile of cards.

"I guess so," she said nervously, her voice sounding particularly odd to her own ears.

Neji's other hand came up, resting on hers, an act that made Tenten jump a little in her seat, stifling a squeak of surprise at the sudden contact.

"You alright?" he questioned, his eyes boring into hers.

"Yeah…" she breathed. "I'm alright."

As if some sort of unsaid signal had passed between them, Neji and Tenten leaned in, their hands clasped intimately, and pressed their lips together. For a few breathtaking moments, they simply sat, lips locked, and gave in to the feeling of bliss.

After eternity, they broke apart, panting, and rested their foreheads against each other's. "Pair of Tens," Neji said softly. "Just like you."

"Hmm…" she said, clearly still breathless from the kiss. Suddenly, she noticed something. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "You cheated! You can't use your Byakugan for playing cards!"

Their laughs complimented each other perfectly. Her bright, happy laughs almost masked his low chuckles, but not quite. His deep voice harmonized with hers as they laughed, enjoying their rare moment of peace and happiness in a world fraught with death and darkness. Neither knew when the other would be gone, only that they were together now.

"A game of reflexes indeed."

* * *

**Written by Fokker333**


End file.
